Thoughts in the Rain
by agent000
Summary: Walking through the rain, and getting myself soaked, I'm thinking of you. I may never see you again, but I'm thinking of you.


**_Hey, everyone! Welcome to this new oneshot of mine! This one's a tad bit sad, but what can you expect from a story I came up with while walking through the rain? (I write sad stuff when I'm walking in the rain, heh. I wrote a sad song while walking through the rain recently too, I think it was the same day I wrote this fic, for that matter.)_**

**_Anyway, I hope that you enjoy it. It's not my usual style of writing, I know, but with me, all you can expect is the unexpected. Heh._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist. I still own my FMA keychains though! (Argh! You say, Will you stop talking about your stupid keychains already? Hmmm...I respond...maybe...someday. Heh.)_**

Edward walked down the street in the rain. He didn't have anything covering his head, but he really didn't care. It helped him to feel his sadness to a greater degree. He didn't deserve to be happy. No, he didn't deserve to be happy unless Al was by his side.

If it hadn't have been for him, he and Al would have never been separated. It was he who had convinced him to try and resurrect their mother a while back. It was he who had convinced them to become apprentices of Izumi. It was he who had pressed and pushed and pushed and pressed for them to find the Philosopher's Stone. Yes, their separation was all his fault.

Where was Al now, he wondered. Was he happy? He hoped he was. He hoped he was alive. He hoped he hadn't sacrificed himself in vain. Actually, what sacrifice had it been? He didn't lose anything, he had merely traveled through the Gate. Sure, he had lost the flesh arm and leg that Al had finally given back to him, but he was so used to his auto-mail now that it didn't faze him one bit. Yes, he was no longer around Winry or Auntie Pinako either.

But he was only to happy to give up everything for Al. He wanted Al back. Where was he? He wished…He almost wished that if Al were still alive, that he wouldn't remember him. He had been such a bad influence on Al. He, being the eldest brother. He should have been a role model, yet look where he had led them. No, Al would do much better with Winry as a role model. He hoped that if his brother was still alive, that he didn't remember anything about him.

"Brother!" he heard a cry from behind him. He spun around and saw one boy call to another little boy, and their mom smile happily as they played. He choked back a sob. His life had been like that once. They had lived a normal life at one time. What had gone wrong? Why did he deserve this?

He turned and continued walking on. He was soaked by now, but he didn't care. Just then, he saw the edge of an umbrella appear over his brow. "You're gonna catch yourself a cold if you keep walking like that," said the owner of the umbrella.

Ed turned to face his benefactor. He gasped. That person looked just like Al! "Who are you?" he asked.

"Oh, me? My name is Al, who are you?" he said.

Ed stared at the boy in disbelief. No, he wasn't his brother. He knew that much. But his name was Al, and he looked just like his brother. "Um…my name is Ed," said Ed.

"Really?" said Al, "You look a lot like someone I know." Ed managed a small smile. Maybe this was Al's double, on this side of the Gate.

"So where are you going?" asked Al.

"Nowhere in particular," sighed Ed.

"Really?" said Al, "Well, you're welcome to hang out with me if you'd like."

Ed nodded and said that he would like that. This Al may not really be his brother, but he was better than nothing.

The two hung out for the rest of the day. Al showed him all the interesting spots of Munich; all the special tourist attractions, restaurants, hanging out spots, whatever made it an interesting city.

Finally, as the day was drawing to a close, Al turned to Ed and said, "You know, Ed, I've really enjoyed spending the day with you. You're like the brother I never had."

Ed rubbed the back of his neck, and said sorrowfully, "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Al placed his hand on Ed's shoulder. "Let's be friends, okay? Could we hang out again tomorrow, or do you have something planned?"

"No, I don't have anything planned," said Ed. "Sure, if you want to hang out with me, we could hang out, I guess."

Al smiled. Ed looked up at the smile beaming from this Al. It looked just like the smile that his brother would have given. Actually, he almost could have sworn that it was his brother's smile, that it was really his brother smiling through this Al.

A smile played at the corners of Ed's lips, and a tear began to roll down his face. Al noticed this. "What's wrong, Ed?" he asked.

"Oh, it-it's nothing," said Ed, quickly brushing the tears away.

Al placed his hand under Ed's chin and made him look up into his eyes. "Listen, I'm always here for you. If you ever need to talk, I'm here to listen."

Suddenly, Ed couldn't control himself anymore, and he burst out crying. That had just sounded so much like Al, the way he had said that. He really missed his brother. Al wrapped his arms around Ed, and rubbed his back. "There, there, it's okay," he said.

Al knew that Ed had been going through something very tough, though he couldn't say what it was. Ed certainly wasn't explaining anything about what was happening. But Al understood that he just needed to cry. He needed a shoulder to cry on. He was happy to play that role.

When Ed finally ran out of tears, he started apologizing to Al. Al just brushed him off, saying that it was no trouble, and that he was glad to be able to do it. Ed shed a few more tears and thanked him. Al smiled and said that he would meet him again tomorrow.

As Ed watched Al walk away, he couldn't help but think about how much this Al really was like his Al. Maybe he even was his Al, in a way. He was so close to the brother he knew, and yet, not quite. Somehow, he felt Al in him though.

"Al," he said to himself, so that nobody could hear, "I may never be able to find a way back home, but I'm glad that you found a way to me."

With that, he turned and walked back home through the rain.

**_Hope you liked it. I know, it was kind of sad. My brother and his friend described it as "irritatingly sad," whatever that means. Heh. Rolls eyes. Whatever. Hope you liked it, anyway. Please leave me a review, okay?_**


End file.
